Brainwaves: How does a brain stay healthy?

Brainwaves: How does a brain stay healthy?

Author: WBUR August 21, 2026 Duration: 32:57
You might think a healthy brain starts and ends in your head – but there are miles and miles of neuron fibers that connect your brain with nearly every corner of your body. Why a healthy brain needs a healthy body. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Each weekday, On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti cuts through the noise of the 24-hour news cycle to bring clarity and depth to the stories that matter. Produced by WBUR, this daily news podcast is built on the conviction that understanding requires more than headlines. Meghna Chakrabarti guides conversations that dig into the roots of current events, connecting today’s debates to historical context and the broader human experience. You’ll hear thoughtful interviews with experts, journalists, and people directly affected by the issues, all aimed at answering the pressing questions that often go unasked. The approach is rigorous but accessible, tackling complex subjects-from politics and science to culture and ethics-without shying away from nuance. It’s a space where multiple perspectives are examined, not just presented, fostering a more complete picture of our world. Tuning in feels less like being talked at and more like being part of a necessary, informed discussion. For anyone feeling overwhelmed by fragmented news sources, this podcast offers a reliable, substantive hour of analysis that respects the listener’s intelligence and curiosity. The result is a consistently engaging program that doesn’t just report what’s happening, but explains why it matters.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti
Podcast Episodes
How 9/11 shaped America [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:21
Twenty-five years ago, the U.S. suffered the worst terrorist attack in its history. Today, roughly 40% of Americans are too young to remember the events of 9/11. Journalist Garrett Graff shares an oral history of 9/11, h…
Did the Treasury just make it easier to launder money? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:40
The Treasury Department recently eliminated a rule that required American companies to identify their owners. The rule was intended to prevent money laundering. What’s driving the decision to drop it? *** Thank you for l…
Who's to blame when AI goes rogue? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:33
An OpenAI cybersecurity test took an unexpected turn when hundreds of its AI agents got around safeguards and hacked into another tech company. Should OpenAI have done more to prevent the attack? *** Thank you for listen…
How should e-bikes be regulated? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:25
You don’t need a license to ride a bike in the U.S. But e-bikes are a different story. Some states classify them as bicycles, others as vehicles. And in some places, you even need insurance to ride one. How to regulate e…
The teachers pushing back on screens in schools [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:25
It's not just phones anymore. More teachers and even entire U.S. school districts are cutting back the time students spend on laptops and other screens. How do students really learn -- and do screens help or hurt? *** Th…
The Jackpod: Promises, promises … [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:47
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the chasm between what politicians say when they are running for office and what they can do in office, and why he thinks 2026 is the year of the demagogue. *** Thank you for listenin…
Why have so many of us seen ghosts? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:58
One in 5 Americans say they've seen a ghost. But what if it was really our brain that had tricked us into thinking we saw something we didn't? In the "Science of the Supernatural" psychology professor Melissa Maffeo argu…
Why is toxic wastewater bubbling up from underneath this Ohio city? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:24
Highly toxic wastewater from America’s fracking boom is buried in deep underground wells. But in some places that toxic waste is bubbling upwards -- threatening local drinking water. How Marietta, Ohio is trying to fight…
Behind the public backlash against Flock cameras [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:13
Flock cameras are used by thousands of police forces across the country to track vehicles. But a growing popular backlash has led to cities canceling their Flock contracts. What that says about the tension between public…
What we have lost now that we found the blue dot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:59
Since Google Maps launched in 2005, the little blue dot has come to symbolize a transformation in how we navigate through the world -- wholly reliant on GPS. But what do we lose when we no longer get lost? *** Thank you…